My Rig: Cable Ties
Subscribe
X

Subscribe to Mixdown Magazine

My Rig: Cable Ties

2011 Fender Standard Precision Bass

 

 

Nothing beats the sound of a P Bass to my ears – it’s a timeless classic. Hardly a versatile range of tones but who needs versatility when you’ve got *the* sound? Super punchy and direct. I like mine set up with a super low action so it’s fast (read: easy for someone without nimble hands) and has lots of satisfying fret buzz. 

 

 

Radial Bigshot ABY

 

 

The only pedal used on bass for the whole record. This splits the signal from the bass to the two amps. The reason the Radial bigshot ABY is included here is not for what it adds to the sound of the record, but for what it removes. Those three lovely switches in the middle eliminate hum, grounding loops and phase issues that running two amps can create, and lets you track both amps effectively without compromising for dirty, buzzy tones.

 

Laney AOR 100

 

 

This one’s a 1980s high gain monster, affectionately known by the band as The Doom Machine. Absolutely aggressive overdrive and a walloping bottom end. It has push-pull pot boosts on all three EQ knobs for when you need MORE of everything. Used to really generate that fire and brimstone sound (on guitar or bass) when sensible amps just won’t do the trick. Blissful in all of its sonic annihilation. Flexes its muscle on track seven, ‘Anger’s Not Enough.’ 

 

Goldentone Bassmaster 60

 

 

Goldentone were a classic Australian gear name, and this one is a 1960s Melbourne-made flip-top head and cab. Running a pair of 6dq6 output valves which are a feature of antipodean amps due to them being used in black and white TVs of the era. Warm and woolly with plenty of mid-range punch. Not much in the way of headroom but it’s ultra-satisfying to turn up the input volume to move from cleanish to gravelly overdrive to all out fuzz with just one knob. Provides the empathetic and less bombastic bass sound on tracks one and eight, ‘Hope’ and ‘Pillow’.

 

Laney Supergroup PA 60

 

 

Evil machine from the birth of heavy metal in late ’60s Birmingham. This is easily my favourite amp that lives at A Secret Location! The Laney Supergroup was originally a four input PA head, but this one has been modded to have four different guitar/bass preamp sounds that run into the EL34 power valves. Throw a treble booster in front for searing leads with which to praise Iommi. Used extensively for bass on every Cable Ties recording session to date. Does the business on tracks like ‘Tell Them Where To Go’, ‘Sandcastles,’ ‘Lani’ and ‘Self-Made Man’, and probably cameos on the others too. 

 

 

 

Listen to Cable Ties’ new record Far Enoughout now via Poison City Records.